I. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, and more specifically to techniques for managing handoff operations in a wireless communication system.
II. Background
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various communication services; for instance, voice, video, packet data, broadcast, and messaging services can be provided via such wireless communication systems. These systems can be multiple-access systems that are capable of supporting communication for multiple terminals by sharing available system resources. Examples of such multiple-access systems include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems.
Generally, a wireless multiple-access communication system can simultaneously support communication for multiple wireless terminals. In such a system, each terminal can communicate with one or more base stations via transmissions on the forward and reverse links. The forward link (or downlink) refers to the communication link from the base stations to the terminals, and the reverse link (or uplink) refers to the communication link from the terminals to the base stations. This communication link can be established via a single-in-single-out (SISO), multiple-in-signal-out (MISO), or a multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) system.
Data provided for communication in a wireless communication system can be encapsulated into packets and communicated between a Node B and a user equipment (UE) based on Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) and/or another suitable protocol. Further, if a UE moves outside of the serving area of a Node B or otherwise requests communication service from a Node B other than a Node B currently serving the UE, a handoff procedure can be initiated to transition communication service for the UE from a current Node B to a new Node B. At handoff, any packets held by the original Node B can be forwarded to the new Node B for transmission to the UE. Some communication protocols, such as PDCP, require in-sequence delivery of packets, such that a sequence of packets is maintained between packets transmitted from the original Node B and those transmitted by the new Node B. However, no techniques presently exist to ensure that in-sequence delivery of packets is maintained through a handoff without incurring significant processing delays. Accordingly, there exists a need for techniques that facilitate efficient management of packet forwarding during handoff.